Bal scores 24, Santa Clara beats San Diego in West Coast Conference Tournament 104-79

Published Mar. 10, 2024 3:23 a.m. ET

Associated Press

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Adama Bal had 24 points in Santa Clara's 104-79 win over San Diego on Saturday night in the West Coast Conference Tournament.

Bal added six rebounds for the Broncos (19-12, 1-0 West Coast Conference). Johnny O'Neil scored 20 points and added three steals. Tyeree Bryan shot 4 of 10 from the field, including 1 for 6 from 3-point range, and went 4 for 4 from the foul line to finish with 13 points.

No. 4 seed Santa Clara plays top-seeded Saint Mary's in the semifinals on Monday.

Kevin Patton Jr. led the Toreros (17-14, 1-1) in scoring, finishing with 19 points and four assists. Keyon Kensie added 16 points, six rebounds and two blocks for San Diego. Deuce Turner finished with 13 points.

Santa Clara took the lead with 11:13 remaining in the first half and did not relinquish it. Bal led their team in scoring with 16 points in the first half to help put them up 51-34 at the break. Santa Clara extended its lead to 78-57 during the second half, fueled by a 10-0 scoring run. O'Neil scored a team-high 10 points in the second half as his team closed out the win.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.